


the other times

by Chaosandthecalm



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: M/M, and eddie is a tiny ball of rage, richie is emo and dramatic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 09:32:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13232928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosandthecalm/pseuds/Chaosandthecalm
Summary: “What the hell has been going on with you?”Richie turned towards the sound of Eddie’s voice.“What do you mean Edds?”“I told you not to call me that.”It's been years since that summer and Richie has isolated himself from the others and nobody can figure out why.





	the other times

Richie took a drag from his cigarette, the smoke mixing with his breath as he breathed out. It was freezing. He pulled his jacket closer to his body, the thin material providing barely any warmth. At least the bleachers kept the wind out. He took another puff and stubbed the cigarette out against one of the metal posts. It should be close to the end of last period. If he moseyed out in the next five minutes he could join the rush of students and avoid any teachers catching him skipping. Again. 

“Hey…” 

Richie jumped at the voice and spun around. Beverly Marsh stood ten feet away from him and he cursed himself for spacing out and not noticing people sneaking up on him. He sighed.

“Marsh you almost made me shit my pants.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” She said, grinning. 

“Ha. You’re hilarious. Really. You should do stand up.”

“I think I’ll leave that to you.”

He rolled his eyes but smiled. She had on a long camel colored coat that clashed terribly with her hair, but he would never tell her that.

“That coat doesn’t really match the drapes hon.” Shit. He really needed a filter. She just kept smiling, her eyes sparkling.

“We haven’t talked in how long and that’s what you want to say to me?” 

He shrugged, looking down at his beat-up sneakers. He could hear her walking closer and refused to look up. They hadn’t talked in almost a year. He hadn’t talked to any of them for that long, or longer. Beverly stopped right in front of him, her boot coming out and tapping his foot gently. 

“I have a question for you…”

“I told you, you’re a stunner but Hanscom might kill me.” 

She snorted and pushed his shoulder. The contact made him shiver. The easy way she did it brought back the memories of a summer that seemed like it was a century ago. When he could drape himself over the nearest person and crack jokes like his life depended on it. 

“What’s up Marsh?”

She paused, shuffling her feet. Her hair had gotten even longer since the last time he really looked. It was almost down to her waist, the curls wild. It looked like fire. He felt warmer just standing next to her.

“I’m having a graduation party…”

“Oh yeah? How’s your old man feel about that?” 

She shrugged, smiling slyly. 

“Wouldn’t know. He’ll be out of town for a week.”

Richie whistled, taking his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and putting one between his lips. She crinkled her nose.

“That’s a nasty habit.”

“Most of my habits are.”

Beverly looked at him, her eyes searching, and he felt his skin crawling. He hated that about her. She could see things that he had buried so deep that he couldn’t even see them anymore. 

“Say you’ll come Rich.”

“Now you know I don’t like lying.”

She just kept looking at him with those eyes and Richie wanted to walk away. His feet stayed planted on the ground and he sighed. 

“You’re the worst Marsh.”

“Thank you.” She said, smiling and gripping his arm gently for a second. Richie wanted to lean into her, wanted her to ask him why he hadn’t been around. Instead she let him go and walked away.

~~

“Alright everyone! Drinks are in the kitchen and the bathroom is down the hall. Try not to break anything!” Beverly yelled over the heads of their classmates. Richie leaned against the wall of the living room, glaring at anyone who stumbled into his space. He could make out some familiar faces but the rest of them looked like strangers. He knew all of these people. They lived in a small town and he had gone to school with them all his life. But their faces had morphed into ones he felt like he had never seen before. Through the throng he could see Bill, who had spotted Richie and raised his red cup awkwardly. Richie had nodded in return and felt a pang of something in his chest when Bill turned away.

“Holy shit. Richie.” 

He turned and saw Ben. Out of all of them Ben had changed the most. He had grow into his baby fat and now stood almost a head taller than Richie.

“What’s up, Haystack.”

“Jesus, haven’t heard that nickname in a while.” 

Richie grinned.

“Haven’t seen you at all it seems like…”

Richie turned away and scanned the crowd again. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking for someone. 

“Yeah well…shit happens.” 

He could see Ben nodding out of the corner of his eye. 

“Well the kind of shit that happened to us…I wouldn’t want to carry that alone you know?” 

Richie shifted against the wall, his stomach turning. He didn’t want to talk about that. Ever. But he also didn’t want to tell Ben that it wasn’t the reason for his isolation.

It had been three years ago when he stopped going over to Bill’s to hang out. Stopped showing up to the Barrens and stopped answering their phone calls. It had nothing to do with what went on that summer. Even though the memories of it still kept him awake some nights. 

“Listen man…it was good to see you. You’re looking good.”

“Rich…”

Richie pushed off the wall and made his way into the crowd, not turning back.

~~

Mike cornered Richie almost an hour later, his face full of concern. It drove Richie nuts. All of them always trapping him and trying to get him to talk.

“I’m fine…”

“No, you’re not. None of us are. In a couple of months everyone is going to be gone…this is the last time we’re going to be there for each other. Nobody will ever understand what you went through…except us.” Richie started back at Mike, his face hard. 

“Yeah? I don’t think even you guys will get what I’m going through.”

“Try us.”

“I’d rather not.” Richie pushed past him, the beer he had been sipping making him stumble when Mike grabbed his elbow. He pulled his arm away and kept walking. He could see Beverly watching them from the other side of the room and he smiled. He didn’t need her coming for him too.

Once more his eyes swept over the crowd and once more they didn’t find what they were looking for. He could feel angry disappointment building in his gut. He wanted to leave, to escape but a part of him made him stay. That small part that always had a small bit of hope. 

~~

“So, then she told Jessica that I liked Bobby, which isn’t even true….”

Richie kept nodding, not really paying attention to Susie Hooper or her yammering. She kept the others away from him though, so he continued to appear to pay attention, Susie squeezed in close next to him on the couch. Her hands were flailing as she told her story, her pink nail polish catching his eye every once in a while. 

“Richie.”

Richie blinked, the voice breaking his daze. He turned slowly, and his heart skipped. Eddie was standing in front of him. Richie’s mouth went dry. 

“Hey Edds.”

“Don’t call me…”

“Alright everyone! Time for a little game!” 

They both looked at each other for another long moment, then turned to look at Beverly. She was standing up on a chair, Ben holding on to her hips protectively to keep her from falling. 

“We’re going to play…seven minutes in heaven!” 

Richie groaned, downing the last of his beer and standing up. He could feel Eddies’ eyes on him as he tried to leave. 

“First up is…. Richie!” 

He froze. The people around him cheered, grabbing hold of him to keep him from escaping. He could feel his pulse kick up. Eddie was still staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed.

“And the second person is…. Eddie!”

Richie felt like the floor had dropped out from underneath him. He could hear the murmurs, the whispering around the room. Everyone’s eyes were trained on them. Eddie’s face was pink as he looked straight at Richie. But he didn’t look as terrified as Richie felt. He looked like he was challenging Richie. Daring him to leave. Richie felt the need to crack a joke, to break the tension somehow. 

His voice was stuck, trapped in his throat along with his heart. A hand pushed him between his shoulder blades and he stepped closer to Eddie. His heart was beating so hard he could hear it in his ears. Eddie turned and started to walk to the closet. Beverly watched them, holding the door open. Richie felt his feet moving, almost like he was sleep walking. This couldn’t be happening. He wished he was still in the sewers. 

“Alright boys…seven minutes start now!” Beverly said before shutting the door in their face. It was pitch black and completely silent, except for their breathing.

“Well isn’t this just peachy…”

“What the hell has been going on with you?”

Richie turned towards the sound of Eddie’s voice. 

“What do you mean Edds?”

“I told you not to call me that.”

Richie chuckled, the defiance in Eddie’s voice so familiar that it put him at ease. 

“Alright sweetheart. Do you really want to argue for seven minutes?”

“No, I want you to tell me why you’re avoiding us.”

“Edds…”

A fist hit Richie square in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. He stumbled back, hitting the wall behind him.

“Jesus!” 

“I…told…you…. not…to…call…me..that!” Eddie said, between furious hits to every part of Richie he could reach. Richie didn’t stop him, just let him punch him. Finally, Eddie stopped, his balled fists resting against Richie’s chest. Richie reached up and gripped his wrists.

“I’m sorry Eddie.”

“You’re such a fucking idiot. Do you know how worried I’ve been? How worried we’ve all been? You’re always missing class and hiding out under the bleachers…”

“I’m sorry.”

“What am I supposed to think?”

Richie couldn’t speak. Eddie sounded…broken. His voice was cracking on every word, his hands shaking in Richie’s grasp. 

“I hate you Tozier.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Get ready to hate me even more.” 

Before he could think twice he moved forward and kissed Eddie. He missed the first time, his lips hitting Eddie’s cheek but he shifted, the dark around them closing in and this time his lips landed on Eddie’s. He could feel Eddie’s body stiffen, his breath hitching in surprise. _Why are you surprised Edds?_ He wanted to ask. _Don’t you know I’ve been crazy about you since we’ve met?_

It was a heart stopping moment, all of Richie’s thoughts leaving his head. The only thing he could feel is Eddie’s lips on his, so impossibly soft. 

The moment broke and Eddie pulled away, snatching his hands out of Richie’s grip.

“Fuck you Richie.”

“Well if you’re offering…”

“You don’t talk to me for almost two years and now you pull this shit?”

Richie laughed humorlessly. This was gong about as well as he always imagined. The anger radiating off of Eddie was palpable. He prepared himself for more hitting but instead Eddie pushed him, hands flat against Richie’s shoulders. His back hit the wall hard and he gasped but the sound was lost as Eddie kissed him. 

He kissed him.

Eddie was kissing him.

And boy was he kissing him. Eddie’s hands were wound in Richie’s shirt so tightly that he feared it would tear. But he couldn’t bring himself to care because Eddie was kissing him. It was messy, and Richie could barely keep up with him but it didn’t matter. Because Eddie was there, kissing him, and all he could do was hold on tight.

After a long moment Eddie pulled away, his breath rushing over Richie’s mouth, damp with saliva.

“I can’t fucking stand you sometimes.” He whispered, resting his forehead against Richie’s. Richie grinned.

“And the other times?”

“I fucking love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of those stories where I had one scene in my mind so vividly but no context for it at all so I just went with it. It might not make sense to anyone else but me.


End file.
